Why My Kidney Hurts When I Run

Our kidney is located between the lower ribs and the upper hip so that pain around the area can be associated with something concerning about the kidney. Throbbing pain in this area is often a result of an injury or infection along the urological tract. However, if you are experiencing this painful sensation while walking or running, there are some other possible risk factors. The pain might be associated with something related to running or the stress of heavy exercising. Despite this, depending on experienced symptoms and signs, there are a couple of kidney-related risk factors resulted in pain around the flank area between the lower ribs and upper hip while running.

Flank pain due to kidney or urological system infection

Pyelonephritis is an infection of the urological system and to be more specific the kidney. This infection is triggered by a bacterial infestation that made its way to the kidney from the bladder through the urethra. Prolonged dehydration, poor genital hygiene practices, and pregnancy are tree common factors triggering kidney infection that causes pain around the flank area. When you are dehydrated, your urethra cannot gain sufficient blood supply and thus, work much slower than usual. As a result, the urine accumulated in the bladder cannot be washed out from the body. In some cases, stagnant urine presents in the bladder. When the urine that needs to be washed out from the urinary tract stays, potential bacteria might make their way to the kidney, causing inflammation leading to infection. An infected kidney causes a painful sensation that is felt in the flank area. This pain will definitely become worse when you move your legs excessively during running activity. Another symptom of an infection in the urological system is the urge to pee frequently so that you might not be able to run for longer period of time without being interrupted with the pain and this urge. However, when you do urinate, you are not able to empty the bladder thoroughly due to slower response from the urethra.

In addition to urological system infection, pain in the kidney when running may also have resulted from the formation of kidney stones in the urinary tract. These stones are basically crystallized calcium originated in the urological tract, causing an extremely painful sensation. Main causes of this crystallization remain unknown, but men are researched to be more prone to the disorder compared to women. Kidney stones are signed by sudden severe plank pain accompanied by nausea and vomiting. The sufferers may also pass pink or bloody urine and may notice tiny stones in the urine. Burning sensation while urinating may also present. This throbbing pain, which may also be accompanied with pain resembling backache may become more severe and excruciating if you do not stop running. In severe kidney stone cases, walking and activities involving bending trigger the occurrence of this severely painful sensation.

Kidney failure

Running, which is done through hours may increase the risk of developing kidney problems that in severe prolonged case develop into kidney failure problem. Kidney failure is the consequence of the breakdown of skeletal muscles that is common with hours of continuous distance running. Thus, the problem is common with ultra-marathon runners, who might be exposed to dehydration problem during the activity. Dehydration slows down the urethra and thus, inhibits urine disposal that leads to a kidney infection. If this infection is not treated and the dehydration from long-hour running keeps present, it is possible for the kidney to be continuously damaged. This damage will prevent the kidney from working properly and may lead to kidney failure.

Although pain around the flank area might be associated with other risk factors including heavy exercises and running, it may also be related to urinary tract infection or kidney stones. Kidney-related pain should never be ignored and thus, it is always suggested that you have the symptoms checked and observed for diagnose. In other cases, however, pain in this area might also be triggered by a bladder infection or appendicitis, so that thorough review and initial treatments matter significantly before the problems develop into worse stages that may silently threaten your entire health status.

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